With this thread I've now ended up amassing more reads, comments and shares than any post ever, I think. Of course I've tried to capitalise on it by adding links to my books and podcast into the thread. Has it sold a copy or attracted a listener? No, not a one. In the figures above you'll see there's a load of likes, shares and comments from my original Facebook post, and a different set of stats for the identical Instagram cross-post. I now don't know which is which.
Either way, an amazing array of comments, discussions, and let's face it insults, have continued to roll in. Here are some more.
Helen Head
Give over 
NO one is paying any artist for a picture like this from an artists ,
It would also be very very hard to find anyone capable of doing this in such good details , and they would charge hundreds for it.
It’s a bit of fun. No one is losing their job because someone has made a fun picture of themselves.
Martin Baldock
Grow up dickhead
Alexander James
Kev Sutherland Are you vegan?
Eating meat is worse for the environment. Don’t be a hypocrite.
Jess Rumsey
Ai doesn't use power and water
Lolli Henrys
I am sure painters thought the same about photographers, art media will always be changing
Steven Walters
I bet painters said exactly the same thing when photography was invented...
Hannah Mahony
As much as I understand the arguments, you may as well stand on the beach and shout at a tsunami to stop.
Kayla Hall
It’s just a little fun!
Isaac Prior
Have a sook 
grow up mate your life list be so small to have such passion for such a small issue
grow up mate your life list be so small to have such passion for such a small issueJack Ogden
Not that serious pal.
Alex Patton
Everyone who is defending AI in this comment section is showing how truly ignorant they are
Courtney Brumbalow
Everyone thinks their caricature is so unique but they all look the same. Boring. Harmful. Lazy. Fake.
Crystal Maciver
Glad to know i wasnt apart of this stupid trend. I think its just a method of counting how many people still conform and follow like sheep
Holly Louise
No one even thinks about the fact its giving major for info for password hacks
Hannah Phelps
I don’t think it’s taking art away from anyone, at the end of the day you know your own value to your work so why moan about AI ruining things for the art community? There is still a massive difference between a real banksy piece and an AI copy piece of banksys no? AI is just making it easier and cheaper for the average Joe to get something they’re after? Instead of paying an artist hundreds for a personalised picture.. so who actually cares if there is a trend going round. Of course the fresh water usage is an issue, massive issue considering it could be the reason we run low on fresh water
Robyn Livingston
So if 2 artists share the same type of creative spark in their work then everyone will loose their jobs...no. As humans we learn to recognise patterns and learn skills to develop that art...AI learns those patterns too to develop art. They're not stealing, if thats the case then everyone who creates art is stealing from someone else 
Just salty because even your stick men look wonky
Just salty because even your stick men look wonkyRonny Pageupdates
AI is unable to draw dogs without their tongues out, and women without massive eyes. It is weirding me out.
Sierra LaShae
Ai is killing creativity!
Roy Sinclair
AI is not killing creativity - it is expanding and adding to it.
Although millions of photos and images are used to train AI, AI is not stealing the work of artists (nothing specific is 'remembered' or reused) - the AI is simply trained to recognise patterns in what it is trained on.
Like it or not, AI is like a huge unstoppable freight train thundering down a track. It is here, and it is here to stay. Standing in front of it with your hands up shouting STOP is utterly pointless.
Me? …I’m an artist and a designer who has seen the landscape changed many times by technology over the years. I never try to stop the train - I jump on board and enjoy the ride
Iain James
To be fair none of these people making a five second image were ever going to go away and commission an artist, so nothing has been lost.
Colleen Taylor
Being a beginner artist (it's a hobby to help me heal a brain injury but darn it, I paint, therfore I'm an artist) I tried drawing myself as a cartoon but because I've only been doing lose watercolor, I really had no talent for it but I'll not be using the chatgp to do one, I'll keep practicing and make one 10 yrs from now, lol.
Kaitlyn Bagwell
Go cry
Ai is used on everything
Ai uses water like every thing that needs cooling lmao 
literally vehicles use water too 
literally vehicles use water too Ai doesn’t steal artwork that’s a lie artists created because artists were losing money
People use ai art because costs money for real artists like a small artwork would be $100+ not everyone has money to use on artwork
You’re on Facebook that uses ai
Your devices use ai too gi to the dark ages if ai is an issue
Maria Roxanna
I'm part of a local gardening group and all the boomers are posting these 
I'm about to say something. Idc if I get kicked out at this point
I'm about to say something. Idc if I get kicked out at this pointAlan Hillhouse
You do know how much any data center uses right?. It's not just ai.
Mark Condon
Well said. I had a business drawing personal and sports caricatures and cartoons and it’s been completely obliterated by ai.
The amount of times I hear ‘why would you pay for that when ai can do it for free even better’ is crazy.
Creativity is dead
Beth Walley
Literally when I started painting and posting before I even had 50 followers some guy put my painting through an AI generator and then tried to tell me it was better, it was literally identical except a tiny little added bit at the bottom, so frustrating because it was literally just plagiarism but dude wouldn't have it
Nicholas Edwards
Yawn. The only people who have a problem with AI are the ones who have no life.
James Wise
It is just a bit of fun, each to their own and all that
Tim Livingstone
The only thing worse than AI is the people who constantly complain about AI.
Lee Mcfarlane
Kinda ironic how you say its stealing art from artists , when you sell romeo and juilet like thats an original idea
Louise Dunmall
Its a little bit of fun and right now we could all do with a little harmless fun! If AI is your biggest issue in life then im jealous as most have alot more to worry about on a daily basis!
Mellissa Whitney Matt
Umm nobody stole the art. Its how people work to. Artists study other pieces of art (they don't buy) to refine their own art.
Ashley Hawkins
Who cares about how it makes you feel, it's like standing in line at your local take away shop and getting angry at the person in front of you for ordering fish and chips because you only like the works burgers..... What has it got to do with you?
Maddison Brisby
I’m so so glad that this is your only worry in life.
Jenny Swindells
My daughter is an artist and she has stopped most of her art work because of the whole AI thing.
Lisa Daisychainz
Okay but how do we meet these artists ?? Xx
Daniel Pearson
You ain't winning this fight
Craig Henderson
Here's a question, what about the disabled person who has hundreds of ideas in their head but can't physically use art tools like brushes and pencils so uses a tool like AI to help them express their ideas that they wouldn't have been able to express otherwise? Honestly the absolute hate towards it is bizzar. The hate that artists throw at people for using it is totally off putting. You're doing more harm to yourself really shouting at everyone. And if you read this you'll probably have a go at me too for "defending" it, I'm not. I'm just offering a different veiw point, not everything in the world is as simple and cut and dry as you would like ot to be. AI is a tool nothing more. Remember the big debate when digital animation over hand drawn came in same arguments "ugh creativity is gone, so many animators are going to loose their jobs" honestly listening to you people is exhausting at times.
Christina Hirons
Yawn… it’s not that deep…
Shannon Nuttall
Can't people just enjoy fun pictures of themselves?
You don't like it great dont use it dont hate on others for their choices that hate nobody ai is based of life and things in reality (mostly) as is art
Sarah Jane
I just don't understand the people who think "its just a bit of fun" even after being told about the damage it's doing 
Its one thing to be blissfully unaware but once you're aware.. you're a d bags if you keep using it.
Victoria Humphrey
Genuinely... How does ur life get to a point where you base friendships and life connections on what apps they use. Its a daft cartoon picture, lighten up
Ash Ward
I made one of you, you seem like you feel left out
Kev Sutherland
My Books And Where To Find Them...
Ash Ward Aaaaaaaargh!
Louise Hill
I'll keep enjoying myself, thanks for your opinion.
Carl Horton
I bet you're a hoot at parties
Natasha Jones
Geez you must be fun at parties
Mac Pajka
Lol, Artists are not afraid of AI
Dominic Kaye
Get a grip
Jøsh Holliday
I'm gonna use AI even more
LJ Mua
In Texas people are going without clean drinking water because of the AI data centres near their houses… but y’all don’t care unless it’s happening in your home… just wait.
Adele Jackson
They’d have to pay you to draw a pic where as ai did it for free. 
you can’t be mad a people for doing a trend that doesn’t really hurt you. You just don’t like it. You’ve publicly shamed people like they’ve done something criminal lighten up mate
you can’t be mad a people for doing a trend that doesn’t really hurt you. You just don’t like it. You’ve publicly shamed people like they’ve done something criminal lighten up mateKerriann Follett
How has my face thats been turned into a characature be stolen? That my face
Scott Walker
Ive been telling people it ends the life of a dolphin every time it’s used.
They don’t care about the dolphins.
Annieka Morris
Why take social media so seriously? Its a bit of fun
René Whiteley
You can easily tell it’s Ai vs real art. If you can’t then the internet probably isn’t for you
Logan Campbell
I like mine lol and I’m a professional photographer. I’m not worried lol
Nathan Thomas
You realise the servers of things like facebook the platform your using now uses a massive amount of energy and cooling too right..
If you really want to help stop using the internet entirely
Kelly Dyche
AI is here to stay. People need to start getting used to that fact. You can cry & moan about it all you want, but it isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s only going to become more advanced. I personally find it both facilitating & terrifying. But I’m very interested to see where it goes…
Naomi Gelston
I literally had not thought of the AI generated stuff like this. I’ve been concerned about AI generated art but hadn’t thought of this stuff as ‘art’ I suppose! Appreciate the post.
Saz Harper
For info: put “-AI” or “-ai” at the end of your Google search phrase and it will remove the AI input and revert to good old fashioned internet search!
Kirra Morrow
I take peoples art and shove it into ai i really couldn't care
i really couldn't careKate Richards
Have a day off, it’s abit of fun. Nobody is dying.
Tarnee Ryan
Tbh I don’t care
Martin Jopp
I'm away to generate a few hundred ai images just to spite you
Charlotte Marshall
Good god i wish i didnt have anything better to do
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